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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — to fit
  4. field — for sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. field — farmland
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cold — an illness
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — of water
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com